Jacket liner with openings for jacket accessories

ABSTRACT

A liner for a jacket includes a body portion and at least one opening formed in the body portion wherein at least one accessory attached to the jacket is positioned through the at least one opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/645,838, entitled “Jacket Liner with Openings forJacket Accessories”, filed Jan. 21, 2005 by Lisa Tengbom, Kristine Hien,Kathleen Whalen and Matt Thompson.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a jacket including user accessoriesthereon, and more particularly, to a removable jacket liner foraccommodating use of the accessories.

Jackets are generally known and commonly used by motorcycle riders toprotect themselves while riding or by others under other circumstances.Such jackets often include accessories for the use and convenience of awearer. One example of a jacket accessory is a jacket-to-pants connectorattached to an inner surface of the jacket that connects a wearer'sjacket and pants. The jacket-to-pants connector zips to the wearer'spants and prevents the wearer's jacket from riding up and pants fromfalling down, in particular while operating a motorcycle, which therebyprotects the wearer from exposure to environmental elements. Anotherexample of a jacket accessory is a kidney belt attached to the innersurface of the jacket to support a wearer's lower back.

Some jackets include a removable liner to provide additional warmth.Such liners can impede the wearer's use of jacket accessories, such asthose discussed above. Therefore, a need exists for a jacket liner thatfacilitates proper use of the jacket accessories when the liner isattached to the jacket.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a jacket liner that includesopenings for receiving jacket accessories within an inner shell definedby the liner. Examples of jacket accessories for use with the openingsinclude a jacket-to-pants connector attached to the jacket and portionsof a kidney belt attached to the jacket. When a user is wearing thejacket and liner together, the jacket accessories are pulled through theopenings and positioned within the liner adjacent the user. Thepositioning of the jacket accessories internal to the jacket liner,rather than external to the liner, facilitates appropriate use of theaccessories. Preferably, the liner includes one opening for receivingthe jacket-to-pants connector and a pair of openings for receivingopposite free ends of the kidney belt.

In one embodiment, the invention provides for a jacket including a torsoportion having an inner surface. A jacket-to-pants connector is attachedto the inner surface of the torso portion. A jacket liner is positionedadjacent to the inner surface of the torso portion and at least oneopening is formed in the liner, wherein the jacket-to-pants connector ispositioned through the opening.

In another embodiment, the invention provides for a jacket including atorso portion having an inner surface. A kidney belt is attached to theinner surface of the torso portion. A jacket liner is positionedadjacent to the inner surface of the torso portion and a pair ofopenings are formed in the liner, wherein the kidney belt includes firstand second ends, each end positioned through a respective one of thepair of openings.

In still another embodiment, the invention provides a liner for ajacket. The liner includes a body portion and at least one openingformed in the body portion wherein at least one accessory attached tothe jacket is positioned through the at least one opening.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an inner surface of a jacket, including ajacket-to-pants connector and a kidney belt.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a jacket liner embodying the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the liner attached to the jacket showingthe jacket-to-pants connector pulled through an opening in the liner andattached to a pair of pants.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the liner attached to the jacket showingends of the kidney belt pulled through openings in the liner.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates ajacket 10, typically for a motorcycle rider, thatincludes accessories for the use and convenience of a wearer. The jacket10 includes an outer surface 14 and an inner surface 18. The jacket 10includes a body portion having a torso portion 22 and sleeves 26A, 26B.The torso portion 22 of the jacket 10 includes a back section 30 and twoside sections 34, 38 at opposite ends of the back section 30, as well asan upper edge 42 defining a neck band and a lower edge 46 defining awaistband. The jacket 10 includes a main zipper (not shown) that extendsalong the front of the jacket to facilitate attaching and detaching theside sections 34, 38 at the front of the jacket. The inner surface 18 ofthe jacket also includes an inner zipper 40 (only the portion at thesecond side section 38 is shown) adjacent the front of the jacket forattaching a liner (see FIG. 2) to the jacket.

Referring to FIG. 1, jacket accessories are attached to the innersurface 18 of the jacket 10. A jacket-to-pants connector 50 is attachedto the back section 30 of the jacket 10. In the illustrated embodiment,the jacket-to-pants connector 50 is spaced equidistantly from the sidesections 34, 38 of the jacket 10 and closer to the lower edge 46 of thejacket 10 as compared to the upper edge 42. Although the jacket-to-pantsconnector 50 is shown pulled up in FIG. 1, the jacket-to-pants connector50 typically lies flat against the inner surface 18 behind a kidneybelt. In other embodiments, the jacket-to-pants connector 50 can bepositioned elsewhere on the torso portion 22 of the jacket 10 and may beoriented any number of ways. A free end 54 of the jacket-to-pantsconnector 50 includes a zipper 58, or other known fastener (e.g., snaps,hook and loop, buckle, buttons, etc.), for attaching the jacket-to-pantsconnector 50 to a pair of pants (see FIG. 3). The jacket-to-pantsconnector 50 prevents the wearer's jacket from riding up and pants fromfalling down and thereby protects the wearer from exposure toenvironmental elements.

Another jacket accessory illustrated in FIG. 1 is a kidney belt 70 forsupporting a wearer's lower back. The kidney belt 70 includes a central,support portion 74 and two end portions 78, 82 attached to opposite endsof the support portion 74. The kidney belt 70 is removably attached tothe inner surface 18 of the jacket 10, although in other embodiments,the kidney belt 70 may be permanently attached to the jacket 10. Thekidney belt 70 is positioned along the torso portion 22 of the jacket 10adjacent the waistband 46 and is oriented substantially parallel to thewaistband 46. Typically, the kidney belt 70 is located on the jacket 10such that the belt 70 is positioned adjacent a wearer's waist tofacilitate appropriate use. Free ends 78, 82 of the kidney belt 70include a hook and loop type closure, or other closure mechanism (e.g.,snaps, zipper, buckle, buttons, etc.), for connecting the kidney belt 70around a wearer's waist (not shown). It should be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art that other jacket accessories may be attachedto the inner surface 18 of the jacket 10, such as cellular phone pocket,a cord holder for an earphone, or a goggle holder.

FIG. 2 illustrates a removable liner 90 for use with the jacket 10. Theliner 90 includes an outer surface 94, an inner surface 98, a bodyportion having a torso portion 102 and sleeves 106A and 106B, an upperedge 10 defining a neckband, and a lower edge 114 defining a waistband.The torso portion 102 of the liner 90 includes a back section 118 andtwo side sections 122 and 126 at opposite ends of the back section 118.The liner 90 includes a main zipper (not shown) that extends along thefront of the liner 90. The main zipper facilitates attaching the liner90 to the jacket 10 at the inner zipper or putting the liner 90 on andoff if the liner 90 is worn separate from the jacket 10. In a furtherembodiment, the liner 90 may be permanently attached to the jacket 10.

While the garments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 include sleeves, itshould be apparent that either the jacket or the liner could also be inthe form of a vest, in which case the sleeves would be eliminated, andstill fall within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the liner 90 includes an opening 130 forreceiving the jacket-to-pants connector 50. The opening 130 ispositioned in the back section 118 of the liner 90 and is orientedsubstantially parallel to the lower edge 114 of the liner. The opening130 is selectively opened and closed by a zipper 134, or other knownclosure means. Further, the opening 130 is positioned in the liner 90proximate the location of the jacket-to-pants connector 50 attachment tothe jacket 10.

In use, the jacket-to-pants connector 50 is drawn through the opening130 such that the jacket-to-pants connector 50 lies adjacent to theinner surface 98 of the liner 90. The free end 54 of the jacket-to-pantsconnector 50 is attached to a pair of pants 138 (see FIG. 3) at aconnector 142 attached to the pants 138. Pulling the jacket-to-pantsconnector 50 through the liner 90 prevents the liner 90 from riding upwhile the jacket-to-pants connector 50 is attached to the pants 138,which often occurs if the jacket-to-pants connector 50 is not pulledthrough the liner 90. In a further embodiment, the positioning of theopening 130 in the torso portion 102 of the liner 90 varies and theopening 130 may be oriented any number of ways to accommodate thejacket-to-pants connector 50.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the liner 90 includes a pair of beltopenings 150, 154 for receiving the free ends 78, 82 of the kidney belt70. In the illustrated embodiment, the first belt opening 150 ispositioned between the back section 118 and the first side section 122of the liner 90, and the second belt opening 154 is positioned betweenthe back section 118 and the second side section 126 of the liner 90.Each belt opening 150, 154 is aligned substantially perpendicular to thelower edge 114 of the liner 90. Each belt opening 150, 154 isselectively opened and closed by a zipper 158, or other known closuremeans. In a further embodiment, the belt openings 150, 154 arepositioned elsewhere in the torso portion 102 of the liner 90 and may beoriented any number of ways to accommodate the kidney belt 70.

In the illustrated embodiment, the belt openings 150, 154 are positionedin the liner 90 proximate the location of the kidney belt's position tothe jacket 10 adjacent the lower edge 46. In use, the first free end 78of the kidney belt 70 is pulled through the first belt opening 150 andthe second free end 82 of the kidney belt 70 is pulled through thesecond belt opening 154. The free ends 78, 82 of the kidney belt 70 arewrapped around a wearer's torso and attached together adjacent thewearer's stomach to provide support to the wearer's lower back. In use,the support portion 74 of the kidney belt 70 is positioned adjacent thewearer's lower back. Pulling the free ends 78, 82 of the kidney belt 70through the belt openings 150, 154 of the liner 90 to connect the kidneybelt 70, rather than connecting the kidney belt 70 around the liner 90,positions the kidney belt 70 closer to the wearer's body to bettersupport the wearer's lower back.

The standard zipper used for the jacket 10, liner 90, the opening 130for the jacket-to-pants connector 50 and the belt openings 150, 154includes joinable rows of zipper teeth and a zipper closure that may beused to engage and disengage rows of zipper teeth, selectivelyconverting the openings between the opened and closed configurations.Although each closure for the openings described herein has been in theform of a zipper, it should be apparent that other known closure meansmay be utilized in combination with or in place of the zippers. Forexample, the use of other closure mechanisms incorporating variouscombinations of hook and loop type closures, buttons, buckles, snaps,and the like are also contemplated.

The constructions and aspects described above and illustrated in thedrawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended as alimitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. Assuch, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art,that various changes in the elements and their configuration andarrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as set forth in the description above, thedrawings and the following claims.

1. A jacket comprising: a jacket including a torso portion having aninner surface; a jacket-to-pants connector attached to the inner surfaceof the torso portion of the jacket; a jacket liner positioned adjacentto the inner surface of the torso portion; and at least one openingformed in the liner, wherein the jacket-to-pants connector is positionedthrough the opening.
 2. The jacket of claim 1 wherein the at least oneopening includes a closure that can be opened or closed.
 3. The jacketof claim 1 wherein the liner includes a back portion and first andsecond side portions attached to opposite ends of the back portion, theat least one opening being positioned in the back portion of the liner.4. The jacket of claim 1 wherein the jacket-to-pants connector comprisesone end attached to the inner surface of the jacket and an opposite,free end adapted for connection to a pair of pants.
 5. The jacket ofclaim 4 wherein the at least one opening is positioned proximate theattachment end of the jacket-to-pants connector.
 6. The jacket of claim1 wherein the at least one opening is positioned substantially parallelto a lower edge of the liner.
 7. The jacket of claim 1 wherein the lineris removably attached to the jacket.
 8. A jacket comprising: a jacketincluding a torso portion having an inner surface; a kidney beltattached to the inner surface of the torso portion; a jacket linerpositioned adjacent to the inner surface of the torso portion; and apair of openings formed in the liner, wherein the kidney belt includesfirst and second ends, each end positioned through a respective one ofthe pair of openings.
 9. The jacket of claim 8 wherein each openingincludes a closure that can be opened or closed.
 10. The jacket of claim8 wherein the liner includes a back portion and first and second sideportions attached to opposite ends of the back portion, and furtherwherein one of the openings is positioned between the back portion andthe first side portion and another of the openings is positioned betweenthe back portion and the second side portion.
 11. The jacket of claim 8wherein the kidney belt includes a central, support portion and two endportions attached to opposite ends of the support portion.
 12. Thejacket of claim 11 wherein each opening receives one of the two endportions of the kidney belt.
 13. The jacket of claim 8 wherein eachopening is positioned substantially perpendicular to a lower edge of theliner.
 14. The jacket of claim 8 wherein the liner is removably attachedto the jacket.
 15. A liner for a jacket, the liner comprising: a bodyportion; and at least one opening formed in the body portion wherein atleast one accessory attached to the jacket is positioned through the atleast one opening.
 16. The liner of claim 15 wherein the liner includesa back portion, the at least one opening including an opening positionedin the back portion.
 17. The liner of claim 16 wherein the at least oneopening is positioned substantially parallel to a lower edge of theliner.
 18. The liner of claim 1 wherein the liner includes a backportion and first and second side portions attached to opposite ends ofthe back portion, the at least one opening including a first openingpositioned between the back portion and the first side portion and asecond opening positioned between the back portion and the second sideportion.
 19. The liner of claim 18 wherein the first and second openingsare positioned substantially perpendicular to a lower edge of the liner.20. The liner of claim 15 wherein the at least one opening includes aclosure that can be opened and closed.